Internal combustion engines often include electrical systems with several interconnecting components. For example, a central processing unit can be electrically engaged to a variety of input devices (e.g., airflow sensors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and so on) and output devices (e.g., intake throttles, braking components, fuel pumps, and so on) through electrical wires. In the interest of being able to remove certain electrical or associated mechanical components (e.g., for replacement, servicing, or for accessing other components), electrical wires can be joined with one another via connectors.
Connectors can include exposed moving parts. For example, in the interest of avoiding accidental disconnections (e.g., as a result of worn out connectors, turbulence during operation, or an initial assembly process), a connector may include a mechanical locking device configured to secure a given wire connection. Where components are subject to a coating process (e.g., spraying or brushing paint, clear coat, or the like) during or after assembly of a given internal combustion engine, coating material may find its way into moving parts of a given mechanical locking device, possibly causing the mechanical locking device to seize.